1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a docking station for a mobile telephone, and more specifically to a docking station that provides an interface to enable landline telephones to send and receive calls via a mobile telephone docked in the docking station, and to enable the landline telephones to utilize facilities and features provided by the mobile telephone via the docking station.
2. Related Art
In recent years, there has been an increasing desire among many in the general public to “keep in touch” or be available to others using telephony devices such as a home telephone, a mobile (wireless) telephone (also known as a cellular telephone or a cell phone), an office telephone, an office fax, etc. Each of these telephonic devices has a unique identification on the public telephone network: an individual telephone number. Thus, an individual must give out several telephone numbers in order to be reachable by others through various different telephonic devices.
The popularity of mobile telephones has led a growing number of mobile telephone users to abandon traditional landline telephones as their main home telephones in favor of using their mobile telephones as their main home telephones. Mobile telephones as home telephones provide the advantage of having only one telephone number for travel or home. Mobile telephones as home telephones, however, have several disadvantages in the current art. Generally, a mobile telephone cannot have extension telephones, which have the same telephone number as the mobile telephone and which are able to participate on the same telephone call. Further, many features that are available to a wired or landline telephone system are not available to a mobile telephone.
Additionally, it is often desirable to be able to communicate from one room to another in a premises. For example, communication is difficult between different levels in a house or among offices in a small office building. In such situations it is necessary to buy and install special intercom systems, a PBX (private branch exchange), or a key telephone system. However, none of these solutions is cost-effective or easily moved from one location to another.